Driving in Haiti... Driving in life...

A pretty typical view as you drive down a typical street in Haiti

So driving in Haiti is pretty crazy. The only rule that I know of is that you do not hit anything and anyone and you can do what you want as long as the other drivers don’t mob up against you. Generally speaking if there is someone parked on side of the road you go around him… not so much when it’s safe… but when you can make it without crashing into the oncoming cars or people walking across the street. The closer you come the more successful of a driver you are because you left room for the poor smuck behind you to fill your previously held spot.



Overall this is the prefect place for me to drive. As you can see from the video there are a lot of taptaps (a mix between taxi’s, busses, and ford explorers with cages around them. So, these taptaps are everywhere. They stop anyplace a passenger yells loud enough to get the drivers attention to get out. Your job as a diver is to navigate around them. Safety is not a thought. The only thought is not getting into an accident. That’s all. Minus that… it’s free game.

Overall driving is a breeze here with exceptions to a few intense spots. Example, a round-a-bout as we call them in the states is first come first serve. The idea is to get your nose out in front first without getting hit. If you don’t do that, the driver behind you will politely let you know with a honk of his (mostly male drivers here cause all the women are working and earning a living) horn strait up till you get out of his way.


The other day I was driving to pick up the tribe from school (if you don’t know who the tribe is… you should) and there was a taptap in front of me broke down right before one of the crazy intersections I was talking about. I did a perfect maneuver around said taptap only to see that he has not really pulled over… he was sitting still in traffic. I had successfully tried to pass this guy only to block the oncoming lane. So there I was, head to head with a very angry taptap driver in front of me, behind me a mad driver who took advantage of my bonehead move to get on the street, the driver to the right of me wondering how this Blone (stupid white guy) ever got a drivers license, and of course a cop with a big gun looking at me too.

I really screwed up.

This happened right in front of me about 5 minutes before I crossed his path.

After I maneuvered out with precision accuracy never looking at the cop who was surely wanting to stop me, I said ok… God… where are you in this? This is what he told me;

We make choices in life every day. Some big, some small. When I started to go around the taptap, I honestly had the best intentions. I was not trying to block the road, make all the drivers mad, or tick off Mr. Police Man. But there I was. 100% at fault and my error. Everyone staring at me, no place to hide, no place to run to. I could not undo it. I could not back up. I just had to wait for the error to simi-pass and maneuver out and keep moving forward. Sin in my life is like that. Wrong paths in my life are like that.

Last year I made a choice. I zoomed out thinking it was right. All roads pointed to what I felt was the right choice. I went for it. Like a driver making a swift and precision pass around a taptap… I went for it. I suddenly was in the spotlight and everyone looking at me thinking… “You are the dumbest dumb person I know…” All I could do is sit there and look back at all the faces knowing while I did not sin (I guess), it was a dumb choice otherwise God would have blessed it. I don’t know where my theology is on what God allows and what trials he puts you through. In either case… with bad moves, you can either run from it, steer back in the path, and move forward… or you can run or hide from it.

What God wants us to do is to press on. Keep living a life pursing a creator who is passionately wanting our attention and love. Don’t live in regret and fear. Steer back in the lane of life He has you in and keep moving forward. There is road ahead to travel and more mistakes to make. No matter if you have run into a brick building with a dump truck or simply took a wrong turn. Keep pressing on, don’t live in regret, and don’t live in fear.

Something I struggle with mightily.

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A friend of mine shared these lyrics with me today:

I want to live in a house with God
only to keep my eyes on you
I want to be in your Kingdom parade
but my heart is bruised

I need the weight of the world to settle
only to know that you're here in the struggle
I need know that there's life in the dark

I want to love with a love undending
I want to know that you're here with us
I want to know that there's life in the struggle

A follower of Christ should have a thick skin and a soft heart

• A follower of Christ should have a thick skin and a soft heart. I suck at this.

• God sends believers to Haiti that are to weak to be followers of Christ in the States. That is why I am here and others.

• I had my first real error driving today. God was kind enough to show me a lesson in that error that I will share in full another day.

• We filled up on diesel today expecting riots

• I was reminded that just because you are safe in Jesus does not mean you will be hurt. It just means you are safe in his arms. That’s where I want to be.

• My Australian friend and I shared stories. My heart hurt when he told me their (him and his wifes) story. His hurt for mine too. I am loving my Aussi friends.

• I have dreams here.  Bad dreams.  The kind you are don't tell people because they are that disturbing. I was told other do to and it's from the voodoo practiced in the area.  I am going to pray over my bed before I go to sleep tonight

• There is so much to do, I can't get caught up.


• I went to Cite Soleil the largest slum in the western hemisphere. I saw things that I can’t write about yet. At one time it was the most dangerous place on the planet, now it’s only in the top 10. I don’t know how they can compare it or chart it cause police don’t go in there and the UN only drives by. I was told when they do come in; they come in force and numbers. With all that I felt the covering of Christ and felt no fear as all of our team felt the same way (I think). That does not mean we did not feel things could go wrong at any point… they could. It just means if they did, it would be a pretty cool way to go. John (Heartlines amazing leader) talked with a chief as we were surrounded by his soldiers. A soldier would be defined as someone who was bigger than I am, meaner than me, and had a big gun. Killing someone there is something that happens there often and I doubt there are many crime scenes or investigations. I am still searching for words to describe what I saw, smelt, and was heartbroken over. I am heartbroken that there are no answers and really not even a hard fix.

• Three things I suck at are painting, detailed carpentry work, and plumbing. I have yet to do plumping yet… I am convinced God has a sense of humor. Maybe I will plumb today.

• I got an email today asking me to read 1 Tim 5:8. My dad is not well. Bad kidneys. We have talked like 3 or 4 times in the last couple of years and have sat down and talked to him only once during that time. The last communication I had was over Christmas and lets just say it ended very emotional. He does not know I am in Haiti, It never crossed my mind to tell him. It’s heartbreaking to me that no matter how hard I try, someone feels the need to point out I am sucking at (fill in the blank). It was the most painful email I have gotten on my trip so far. Simply painful. Thanks to John I was reminded to have a thick skin and a soft heart. I suck at it.

…Thick skin and a soft heart
…Thick skin and a soft heart
…Thick skin and a soft heart

Thoughts for the day

·      Drove the canter (big truck) for the first time today.  Loaded it with folks.  We had to put a few people on top of the cage because there was not room in the cage for more people.

·      Saw a naked guy walking down one of the main streets in Haiti today on the way to church

·      Worship was really good today.  The music from a technical side was not good at all… but I felt God moving as much as any technically perfect service I ever attended.

·      The church was super packed. I would guess the church holds 200ish. There was about 75 visitors, the rest was locals

·      Got to meet a young lady today named Megan Boudreaux.  A 24 year old girl who is sold out to Jesus and sharing the gospel with love to an unreached group for Jesus. So impressed with her traveling by herself, going to places that most men would not go, completely sold out to sharing Jesus.  Freaking amazing

·      I saw more people living in tents than I know how to count

·      I saw several families bathing on side of the road

·      I promised myself again not to bitch to God about a cold shower… I am weak.

·      I saw one person bathing in a river that would be condemned in the states

·      I saw young ladies that are being loved on by heartline get in the canter (cage) to go to church.  One with no foot, another with no hand… most with little hope… all with smiles just at the chance to get to worship Jesus.  The seemed happier than 99% of the adults I know in the States.

·      I am finding my love affair with Jesus to grow each day.

·      Talked to a guy who travels around the world sharing the love of Christ by helping the less fortunate help themselves.  He raises tons of money for those that have no hope and does wonderful things with it.

·       Talked with Megan more after dinner.  What a freakishly amazing girl.  She started the only school in Gressier, Haiti.  It’s closer to the epicenter than Port au Prince and the devastation there is horrible.  No electricity, no running water, no medical services, no stores.  Her school now has 90 students.  She is doing this completely alone and all her own.  She does not get paid.  She has only local teachers and is trying to teach them everything from English to how to grow a garden.  They are in desperate need of skills to grow their own crops. They are a forgotten people.

·      I realized today that the NFL is in the middle of the playoffs.  As a lifelong NFL fan, I could really not give a rip about professional sports.

·      It’s interesting how little material things matter to me here.  I don’t miss all my “junk” back home at all and I have been here less than a week.  The thought of going back to that…. Is not appealing at all.

·      I miss my friends.

·      I have not cried since I got here.  Five days… will see how long I go.  I have had tears 3 times.  Once in our daily prayer, once at church this morning, and once tonight when a friend texted me in the middle of his business and say…”harry, I miss you… seriously”.

·      Relationship issues bring tears (a friend who text or me missing someone)…. Not having my “stuff”… does not.

·      God is telling me to wait today… He has been telling me that for a while.  It was strong today.  I keep thinking what am I waiting on.  I think searching to have someone special in my life.  That is the only thing I yearn for so I guess he is telling me to wait.  Crap… oh… I mean God is good.

Port au Pince, Haiti

I have never been much of a blogger.  Honestly, I don't think my life is worth reading.  Even if it was/is... I am not much of a story teller.  More of a thought by thought kinda guy.  So, while I should have set this up a couple of weeks ago when all this went down, I am starting tonight to blog.  I am just going to post daily thoughts of what I learn each day about being in a forth world country.